Are managers that important?

Are you not aware of the term 'journeyman'?

 

I must take issue with this Liam (as I do every time I hear Pep cited as some kind of genius). The fact of the matter is that Frank Rijkaard built that squad and introduced the now world-renowned playing style. Rijkaard took FCB from the relegation zone (!!) to UCL Champions. He was also the one who introduced Xavi, Iniesta and Messi. You can't argue with Pep's achievements thereafter but to suggest that he was responsible for building the squad who made those achievements is not really accurate. The same is of course true of Bayern where he inherited a squad built (primarily) by Heynckes. Heynckes won the UCL with them as well as breaking every Bundesliga record; Pep didn't. Pep is now being found out at City where the squad he inherited was not of the same calibre as the last two he took on.

 

Yeh I'm not gonna give a manager much credit for realising Messi, Iniesta Xavi etc should be in the team.

I actually think managing isn't that much about tactics anymore, not with how many coaches and analysts all the clubs have. I think it's far far more about mentality and belief. Professional footballers are just that, they're professional and they'll do a good job regardless of who's managing. Being a top manager I think get's that little extra bit of belief out of them to win games they probably didn't deserve to and the like.

 

Another good example is Eddie Jones and the England ruby team. I don't know much about rugby but it's so clear just listening to Jones and Lancaster the difference in their stature and presence. Jones has been able to instill a mentality and identity into the team and the results are amazing, does anyone know if he's made much of a tactical change?

 

Hard to tell really. From what I can see, the tactics remain the same as they ever were, ie.; big blokes crash into each other and try to wrestle the ball to a smaller bloke who runs a few yards before crashing into the big blokes again. Repeat until a little bloke either kicks the ball into touch or runs over the line miles from the goal.

Apparently there is now something called 'total rugby' where the big blokes get to have a go at running and the little blokes get to develop cauliflower ears, but it still seems to end up with all of them in a heap, so who knows wtf is going on.

As you say, the difference under Eddie Jones appears to be that England are now better than everyone else at doing this, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. But I may have missed out a detail or two.

 

I'd like a bash at managing Barcelona, with a department of world scouts, money to buy any player I fancied and the certainty those players wanted to come!

 

Yes.

 

Probably as important as centre backs.

 

Good news is - I can't see many opportunities for Claude to move to a bigger club next year (apart from Arsenal?)